Wednesday sees the group continuing working through SINFONIE, concentrating today on Steps 6-8.
Step 6:
Influence Matrix
A grid ( matrix) is used to look at the direct impacts factors have on each other. The relationships are ranked from 0-3, depending on their strength (The four groups from yesterday finished Tuesday by clarifying their seven most important factors, and these were the ones used today.)
For example, does the ‘Amount of financial resources’ (A) have a direct impact on ‘Competencies of the facilitators’ (D) within an Innovation Project? These issues were discussed at length, 47 comparisons had to be made within each group.
Step 7:
Effect Diagram
This diagram provides a graphic representation of the results from the Influence Matrix.
The relationships between factors that were deemed strong (2/3) were included on the diagram, so that only the most important factors could be shown.
Step 8:
Axis Diagram
This tool shows the Passive Totals against the Active Totals in a grid format, with AT on the x-axis, and PT on the y-axis. From this, groups can decide where factors lie on a scale of Active or Passive, and Critical or Inert.
AP – Possibility for a factor to influence other factors
PT – How easily a factor can be influenced by others
With such intense work, a game was needed to bring energy back to the group…
The simple concept of the group preventing a player from sitting in an empty chair proved to be more difficult that first thought…
The final task of the day was
Step 9:
Interpretation of the System
This is to allow the participants to analyse the results that have come from the models.
To do this, they must ask questions such as;
- Have any important factors been overlooked?
- Can anything be said about the duration of the effects?
- Is it a dynamic system or an inert one?
Tomorrow will see the group finish the SINFONIE sequence, completing steps 10-12.